


Summoned and Cloaked

by avarand



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: DemonAnakin, M/M, demonAU, magicau, obikin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2018-12-22 18:58:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11973624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avarand/pseuds/avarand
Summary: Anakin is a demon. He doesn't like to be summoned. Obi-Wan is a helpless bystander/possible sacrifice. Also if people would just stop summoning demons for a few hundred years, Anakin would really appreciate it.





	1. The Demon and the Decoy

**Author's Note:**

> Idk. Blame insomnia.

The being which answered to Anakin felt a tug at its core. One that was all too familiar. It meant someone from the middle dimension, a mortal, was trying to summon him again. Gods, he hated mortals. They were so unbelievably predictable and petty. ‘Kill my enemies, make me rich, give me power, help me dodge my taxes’. None of them had any idea what real ambition was. And he wasn’t some Djinn who granted wishes anyway. 

The feeling returned, stronger this time. Great. Some asshat (mortals did create fantastic words on occasion) had an inkling of what he was doing. Probably knew Anakin’s name. Ugh. He hated when they knew his name. That meant some decrepit old person had likely drawn a circle in salt or blood or something equally useless and he was being pulled into a living room that smelled like unemptied litter boxes and asked to kill someone’s relative or auditor. The tug again. Well, there was no dodging this one. Time to look like a human for a bit and scare another would-be summoner off. 

With a twitch of will he followed the tug and found himself in...a basement lit by tall candles. Not terribly original. What was unusual was the scent of fear mixed with blood. The summoning circle at his feet looked to be regular chalk but he could definitely smell blood. For his part he was wearing black sneakers, jeans, and black sweatshirt. In the corner of the dank room it looked like someone was tied to a chair. Ah, the source of the blood. The man had a head wound that made his gag a bit superfluous. 

“Ah, you’ve come at last,” a voice to Anakin’s left said with glee. Well, he’d called the part about it being an old person. 

“Yup,” Anakin replied, popping the ‘p’. “You have summoned me from another realm. What for?” 

“Ah ah, no need to talk business straight away. After all, aren’t you curious as to how someone would be strong enough to learn your name and call you here?” Wow, the guy was even wearing a black robe. That was so unnecessary. 

“I get summoned roughly once every twenty five years or so. You’re not the first or last mortal to call for me.”

The old guy was definitely displeased at that. “Now, now. You’re at my mercy. Wouldn’t want to give off the wrong impression, would you?” 

Oh, that did it. “Mercy? I am ageless. I have been captured by mortals before and escaped. I’ve helped build and destroy empires. One old man in a basement that smells like…” he sniffed. “Radon? You should have someone check that out. But one old man with some candles and a hostage isn’t gonna rattle me. And this circle? You drew it wrong. They always draw it wrong.” Anakin used the toe of his shoe to smudge the intricate line work. That at least seemed to scare the man. 

“I meant no insult! Please!” Huh. Bowing and groveling. That was...pathetic. 

“Just tell me what you want.” 

“I have brought you a sacrifice!” The man pointed to the bound figure in the chair. “I offer you this human life that you may grant me a favor.” Anakin rolled his eyes. A human sacrifice? Had mortals lost all sense of what demons were? He blamed Twilight. But in the interest of getting back to minding his own business he’d play along. 

“What favor would that be?” 

“I have lived long past the time I was told I was given. But I am not ready for death. I wish for everlasting life.” 

“Immortality? Let me guess, I’m the only demon whose name you could find that didn’t come attached to a bunch of greek words for ‘death’ so you figured you’d con some poor person into being human bait and then ask me for unending life? It doesn’t work that way. My home address isn’t in hell, I don’t drink blood, and I’m not a Djinn with unchecked magical powers. Even if I could give you immortality, which I can’t, I wouldn’t. I’ve been around for so long I don’t remember some of my names. And I’m only allowed to stay around that long because I follow very specific rules. I’m like an undying bureaucrat. So try again.” 

“What? I ask one thing of you and you can’t provide it?! I am Palpatine! I have escaped death numerous times!”

“I don’t know, or care to know, your name. You’re a scared, boring old man with nothing left. But I’ll grant you one mercy.” Anakin extended his hand and snuffed the flame of life out from the being in front of him. Honestly. Old men running on delusions of grandeur. It was undignified. Now, for the poor bastard in the corner. Anakin walked forward and untied the ropes keeping the man secured to the chair. He was weak, but not dead. That was something at least. 

“Alright, let’s get you onto a couch t least,” Anakin murmured. 

“No, won’t be a sacrifice,” the man murmured weakly. 

“Hey, I’m not here to find a sacrifice. Just wanna stop you from bleeding out. That old guy was a piece of work.” 

“Heh. Hated him,” the auburn-haired man muttered. 

“Yeah, me too. Now let’s get you some rest. I’ll watch over you, promise.” 

“Okay,” the auburn-haired man said. “Have someone who needs me.” 

“Yeah, well we’ll get you back to them. Come on, arm around me now.” 

And Anakin led the human upstairs where he could rest. He’d deal with the rest in the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

As it turned out, he’d deal with the human in the early hours of the morning. Anakin checked the security of the bracelet on his right arm for the hundredth time.

Humans slept a lot. That was one thing Anakin always managed to forget. He’d healed most of the ginger man’s wounds but he was worried there might be internal bleeding. So he’d cleaned up the scene in the basement with a sweep of his arm in case he needed to call a medical professional. The old man’s body had been easy enough to incinerate into fine ash, and going by the lack of pictures and minimal furniture in the small house, no one was gonna come looking anytime soon. The man who’d thought himself so powerful with a pile of dust in the far corner of the basement. 

“Guhhh…” Oh good, the human was waking up. Maybe he didn’t have internal bleeding after all. Contrary to popular belief there were plenty of demons who didn’t have a taste for killing humans. Sure, humans could be annoying but so could other demons and cats. And Anakin was quite fond of cats. 

“Hey, I think you’ve got a concussion,” Anakin told the man, hoping his words were getting through. “You should probably stop by a hospital and get it checked out.” 

The man groaned again and opened his eyes. He had quite nice eyes. Bluish grey that worked well with his ginger hair and beard. 

“What happened?” He was rubbing his head and seemed to be considering whether or not to attempt sitting up. 

“I’m actually not sure. Only that some old guy named Palpatine nearly killed you in an attempt to summon a demon.” 

Well, that seemed to jog his memory a bit. “Palpatine,” the man spat the name out. “He’s a colleague of mine at the university.” 

“Uh, he was a colleague of yours. Past tense.” 

The ginger human looked worried at that, his eyes going wide. 

“Hey,” Anakin said, hands up in a gesture of surrender. “It was you or him. He wanted to use a human sacrifice to gain eternal life. Also he was an arrogant slimeball.” Anakin probably shouldn’t have put more emphasis on the sin of being an arrogant slimeball, but you became desensitized to certain things in his line of work. 

“We have to call the police, then,” the man said, finally sitting up even though it looked like it was painful to do so. Anakin frowned. Healing wasn’t his speciality but he must really be out of practice. 

“Nope. There’s no body. I made sure of that. The concussion is more of a pressing issue. Is there a hospital nearby?” 

“What do you mean there’s no body?” 

“I mean I took care of it. I incinerated it. Not my first...rodeo. That’s the phrase, right?” 

“I’m sorry, who are you? And how did you incinerate a human body without a crematorium?” 

Oh good, this wasn’t as idiotic as the old one. “Palpatine was the summoner. I’m the summonee. I incinerated his body by willing it. It’s a perk of my position.” 

Obi-Wan shook his head as though not believing he was awake. “He summoned you? From Hell?” 

“Of course he didn’t summon me from Hell. If I was a Hell demon I’d be way scarier. He summoned me from a realm adjacent to this one. I mean, lots of realms are technically adjacent because parallel universes overlap everywhere, but I’m from one of...it’s hard to describe. More formless energy than physical permanence.” 

“Right,” the man said slowly. “You’re a demon from an energy realm and I was almost a human sacrifice. And you turned my murderous former colleague into a pile of ash.” 

“Yes! Usually your kind doesn’t catch on too quick. Now seriously, you’re all squishy with your blood and organs and prone to injury. Hospital time. Is there one near here?” 

“If you’re a demon then why are you helping me? Why not just...go back home? Gods, I can’t believe I just said that.” 

“I can’t go back. Summoning between realms is annoying for a few reasons. One, there’s a time lock out. Two, it requires energy from a third party. Not a sacrifice but...like a battery of some kind. I don’t mind though. Finding my way back is usually easy enough. I’m happy to explore and see what I’ve missed since I was here last. Your species never stays still. One of the things I don’t hate about you.” 

“Right. Hospital. I need a story. Can’t very well say I was tied up by my colleague and bludgeoned in hopes of being a sacrifice.” 

“Just say you fell. Trust me. I can get us to the hospital so you don’t have to call an ambulance. Can you picture where the nearest one is in your mind?” 

The man nodded. 

“Okay, good. Do that. Down to every detail you can and hold that image in your mind’s eye. I’m gonna reach into your mind and find that image. Keep focusing. I’m gonna put my hands on your shoulders. Get ready for a spinning sensation.” 

The human had good mental recall for being concussed. Anakin focused on the image and willed himself and his current partner to ignore the physical limits and travel through the lines of energy that existed everywhere. When he was standing on grass instead of wood flooring he opened his eyes. 

The human looked around incredulously and promptly fell to his ass. They were just outside where the external lights fell from the tall hospital building. 

“I-how did you do that?! I teach physics! That should not happen!”

“Pfft. If you teach physics you should know how that can happen. Now come on. Maybe you’ll luck out and get a cute doctor.” 

“This night could not get any stranger.” 

“Aw, don’t count us out yet. What’s your name, by the way?” 

“Ben. Ben Kenobi. And you are?” 

“Uh...my kind doesn’t just hand our names out to anyone who asks. But you can call me Ander.” 

“Man. Your fake name is “man”?” 

“Also means warrior!” 

By the time they got into triage Ben was grumpy and exhausted. Anakin supposed he couldn’t really blame him. After nearly two hours in a room that was really just some curtains around a bed, a doctor finally took a look at his head. Two hours! Maybe humans were trying to passively kill each other with their health care system. One x-ray and a prescription for painkillers later, and Ben was pronounced healthy enough to go home, provided he took it easy for a few days. 

Outside the hospital the question of how to get Ben home came up. 

“Look, I can walk. It’s not that far. My car is at home anyway.” The ginger haired man was saying. 

“Hm. Walking through a city with a higher than average crime rate before dawn. Nope. We’re traveling my way.” 

“I have no desire to ever travel like that again!” 

“Look. You said you had someone waiting for you. At your home, right?” 

Ben nodded. 

“Okay, so this is the fastest way to get back to your home and the person you care about. I didn’t sit in a hospital with your for hours just so you could get yourself killed.” And honestly there was something about Ben. Behind the boring sweater and terrible taste in shoes, there was something bright about him. A spark, an intelligence and a calm kind of sharp observation.

Ben visibly tried to look for other answers but finally resigned himself to his fate. “Fine. This kind of travel though. How is it managed?” 

“I told you I’m from an energy realm. We don’t really have corporeal forms there. No real concepts of gender or being physically constrained by a body. There are things like mountains and and lakes, but we’re the only intelligent life there, as far as we know. We travel by following energy lines. I mean everything generates energy, even here. You just have to feel them and then push yourself into them.” 

“You travel through pure energy,” Ben repeated, a bit slack jawed. “That doesn’t sound like a demon to me.” 

Anakin laughed. “‘Demon’ is really a catch-all term. Human started using it and it stuck. But my kind isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. We’ve definitely caused our share of destruction in your world, both willingly and unwillingly. But this is a conversation for another time. Close your eyes and think about home, Dorothy.” 

Ben snorted and rolled his eyes but did as he was asked. In seconds they were in front of his home. 

“Alright,” Anakin yawned. “I killed the dragon, saved the damsel, and now you can go home to your wife and I can find somewhere to rest. Being called out of one’s dimension is exhausting.” 

“I don’t have a wife. It’s my daughter I was concerned for. But you’re just leaving? With no money and no way to know when you’ll be able to get back home?” Anakin fidgeted with the bracelet on his right wrist.

“I’m not new to this. Besides, this world is interesting. I like to catch up on current events when I’m here. Wars, movies, movies about wars. Your kind is always busy. It can be refreshing.” 

“So you’re just going to wander around until you can go home?” The concern in Ben’s blue-grey eyes was touch. 

“Pretty much. But if you get into any trouble over that creepy dead guy, take this.” He handed the man a small carving with strange lines and pattern all over it. “Hold in both hands and say my name.” 

“Don’t I need to know your real name?” 

“Yeah,” Anakin sighed. “Can I trust you to not give it out to anyone else?”

“After all you’ve done for me I wouldn’t betray you like that,” Ben said sincerely. 

“Alright. It’s Anakin Skywalker. Don’t say it out loud if someone else might hear you.” 

“So it’s true that names have power over demons?” 

“Unfortunately for us, yes. Now go tell your kid you’re safe.” 

And with that Anakin was gone.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ben!” Ahsoka launched herself at her father. Technically adoptive father but such distinctions didn’t matter to them. “Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick! What happened to your head?” 

Ben hugged Ahsoka tightly. “A minor concussion. I already had a doctor look at it. My phone was destroyed and well, a very helpful young man made sure I got to a hospital and back home safely.” Ahsoka didn’t need to know that his colleague had nearly killed him and that the helpful young man was a demon. “I’m sorry I worried you.” 

“You should be! I was about to call the cops! But you’re really okay?” She pushed her thick braids behind her ear. 

“I really am. I just need some sleep. And it looks like you could use some as well.” 

“Well yeah. I’m the one who’s seventeen. I should be the one worrying you by being out at all hours! Also I totally want to hear about this mysterious man who took care of you,” she said with a leer. 

Ben sighed. “Bed, now.” And finally with the first rays of dawn streaming into his room, Ben fell into a restful sleep.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maul was bored. The human who’d summoned him had promised him opportunities to cause violence and suffering. But it had been days and he hadn’t so much as snuffed out one mortal life. 

“Patience,” the man called Dooku admonished him, sensing his restlessness. “It won’t be long now.” Indeed, Dooku’s plan to break part of the world in order to build his own power would soon have to go into motion. It would require infiltration and building on his own small order. And acquiring certain rare artifacts. But tomorrow he’d complete the first step. He’d begin the ritual and the demon Maul would have his blood. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anakin walked around the small city in the early morning hours. He should have asked Ben for money. He forgot you needed money to do literally anything in this realm. But he was happy enough to see how fashions and technology had changed, and it wasn’t like he got hungry or thirsty. Though he was considering mind-tricking a human into giving him a computer. Those things looked interesting. They’d certainly come a long way from the huge monstrosities he’d last seen.

Last time he’d been here he’d fallen in love with cars. He still appreciated the odd one here or there, but the new ones were so much less elegant looking. Maybe he could find another motorcycle. Now those were fun. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ahsoka knew something was up. Her dad never stayed out all night. And even his ‘lost my phone’ excuse was a lie. The number was totally disconnected now. Maybe he’d been mugged and didn’t want to tell her? But there was something else tugging at her mind. Her dad wasn’t the type to lie to her, but he’d definitely omitted some things. 

Sighing, she made another pot of coffee. It wasn’t like she was gonna get back to sleep. She laid her head down on the solid oak table and thought about her dad. The bandage over his forehead, how disoriented he’d seemed. She closed her eyes as the kettle heated. In her mind she saw her dad being mugged by a random stranger. But that wasn’t right. She pushed the image aside. Then she saw her dad barely awake and tied to a chair, head wound already inflicted and bleeding. A man stood nearby, old and wearing a black cape or something. Candles, strange markings on the ground. And then the old guy was on the ground, clearly dead. Someone...more like something else was there now. Helping her dad, untying him and getting him upstairs. 

The kettle went off and Ahsoka jumped up to silence it so as not to wake her dad. Was that a dream? ‘No, you know it wasn’t’, her mind answered. Ugh. She’d been having these...issues more often. These not-dreaming dreams of things that had happened. Or maybe happened. Why would her dad be tied up in some basement and bleeding from a head wound?

But her not-dream about the car breaking down last week while dad was at work had been true true. So had her not-dream about Barriss’ dad losing his case before that. But those were all common events. Barriss’ dad was a lawyer and criminal defenders lost cases all the time. Likewise their car was a piece of shit and broke down at least a few times a year. 

But the basement thing and third entity was weird. It didn't seem like a human... Ahsoka sighed. Coffee. Coffee solved all problems.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was nearly nightfall and Anakin had no idea where to stay for the night. He did however now possess a high end laptop. It wasn’t like Microsoft needed the money anyway. Much more ethical than stealing from some student. 

Lodgings could be more of a problem though. He was tired from traveling so much through this world in a physical body after being out of practice, plus already using his powers to get the laptop. He wasn’t sure if he had it in him to mind trick a hotel employee but maybe he’d have to see. He needed a spot to start figuring out how to use his new computer, after all.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ahsoka, you’ve been up all day and I’m fine. Go get some sleep.” Ben told his daughter. 

“Alright, alright. Can I ask you something though?” She had a hypothesis to test. She’d been raised by a scientist so she’d approach this issue like one. 

“When you got mugged, did you see the guy who did it?” 

“No, I didn’t. It was rather dark.” Huh. No eye contact and shuffling clean dishes around. That was a lie. 

“Right. So if he’d been wearing a big black robe you wouldn’t have seen it?” Her dad went statue still at that. A truth, then. 

“Why on earth would you ask that?” 

If he was going to answer a question with a question then so would she.

“Were you in a basement with a bunch of creepy candles that looked like the set of a B horror movie?” 

Her dad’s eye went wide with real fear. “Ahsoka Tano-Kenobi. I need you tell me how you know that. It’s extremely important.” 

“So I’m right? That’s what happened?” She couldn’t be shoved over that easily. 

“Yes. I was kidnapped and knocked out with a blow to the head. This is an extremely dangerous situation. If you were there I need to know.” 

“Dad, I wasn’t there. I was here, worried sick and considering calling the cops even though you know I hate the cops. Check my google search history on missing persons protocols if you don’t believe me.” She was a bit scared herself now, but determined to stay calm for her dad. 

“If you weren’t there then how could you possible know that?” Ugh, the Serious Face. 

“I um...I don’t know how to explain exactly. For the past few months I’ve been having...not dreams but not not dreams? I’ll not-dream something that happened in the recent past and then it’ll turn out that that thing happened. I thought it was total coincidence at first. The car breaking down, Mr. Offee losing a specific case, but then this morning I saw you strapped to a chair and bleeding. There was an old guy in a black robe and then he was gone and...someone else was there. But I couldn’t really see him. I just knew he was there, like a shadow on the wall or something but maybe not a person? I know that sounds crazy.” She said the last part dejectedly. Her dad was a well respected physicist at an important university. He didn’t hold with visions or sheister Tarot Card readers or any of that crap. 

“Hey, you don’t sound crazy,” his gentle voice said, taking a seat opposite her at the table. I was kidnapped, tied to a chair and almost murdered. That other person, the shadow you saw, he saved me.” 

“But why would someone want to kill you?!” 

Ben sighed. Well, if his daughter was having...visions about his night then he owed her the truth.

“I don’t know why, exactly. I was a bit out of it with the concussion. But the man who kidnapped me was Sheev Palpatine.” 

“Your friend from work? The nice old theology guy?!” 

“The same. Turns out he wasn’t actually very nice. He invited me over for a drink to discuss an old text on Greek physics and religion but as soon as I turned my back he struck me with very heavy bottle of some kind. He was deceptively strong for his age.” 

“Wait, you keep using past tense. Did you…?” 

“No, I didn’t kill him. But my ah...new friend did. Palpatine was going to use me as a human sacrifice. And I mean that literally. He was trying to summon a demon of all things and I was to be the sacrifice. Thankfully Ander showed up. He was forced to kill Palpatine. Then he helped me to the hospital.” 

Ahsoka was shocked. “So the nice old guy who went to Seminary was secretly a Satanic demon summoner? Who tried to sacrifice you to summon...a fucking demon?” 

“Language. But yes. It’s...hard for me to wrap my head around as well.” 

“Oh my God. There are real Satanists and cults in this town. And one of them almost killed you! I thought my not-dreams were weird!” 

“Ahsoka, breathe. For one I don’t think Palpatine was a Satanist. Some other kind of cultist, most likely. Satanists are mostly bogeymen from paranoid suburbanites in the ‘80s. Secondly, I am fine. As for your...not-dreams, we’ll figure something out. They don’t happen often, right?” 

Ahsoka shook her head in a negative.

“Right, then. You should keep a journal of them. Documentation is always a good place to start for solving a problem. I can contact the man who helped me last night. He might know something about them. Would you be alright with that?” 

Ahsoka inhaled and exhaled a few times. “Yeah. He saved your life so that’s worth something. Maybe he can help.” 

“Alright, then. I’ll contact him in the morning.” 

“Not tonight?”

“It’s almost eleven.” 

“I had a vision about someone trying to make a ritual killing out of you.” 

Ben sighed. “I suppose you’re right. And I would sleep better with some answers. Go upstairs and start documenting your not-dreams. I’ll contact him.” 

Ahsoka nodded and headed upstairs to find an empty journal. 

Ben stepped onto his back porch and couldn’t believe he was about to summon a demon. But his daughter could be tied to this. He wished for the millionth time that her birth parents were still alive. Perhaps one of them had experience with this. But unfortunately Mr. and Mrs. Tano had both died in a car accident, leaving their colleague and best friend to raise their daughter. Ben had been shocked that they didn’t have extended family to take the infant Ahsoka in but his own family tree was rather stunted. So he’d made a family out of just him and Ahsoka. 

He pulled the small charm out of his pocket. He had a sudden flashback to the Beetlejuice film and had to stifle a hysterical giggle. Clasping the charm in both hands he took a deep breath and said outloud “Anakin Skywalker.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if demon!Anakin has discovered Nutella...Anyway, reviews always appreciated. You can follow me on tumblr at https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sjwerewolfinc I also now take commissions of all kinds, inside and outside of the SW fandom so hit me up if you're interested.


	3. Chapter 3

Anakin was surprised, though not unpleasantly so to feel the tug of his name being said and his token used. It actually made him smile a little that it was Ben. As a rule he didn’t care for humans but Ben had quickly become an exception. He frowned, hoping the man was okay and followed the beacon of his token. 

He found himself on Ben’s back porch and the man seemed to be in good shape. 

“Are you alright? You wouldn’t actually use that to call me like a dog would you?” 

“And end up like Palpatine? I think not,” and there was a wry smile on the man’s face. It was a nice face, Anakin thought offhandedly. “There is something though. It has to do with my daughter. She had...a vision of sorts. She knew what had happened to me down to the details. I thought-I have no idea who to talk to about that sort of thing.” 

“So being a supernatural entity made me your first stop?” 

“Yes. She’s scared. She hasn’t had very many of these but this one well...she certainly didn’t want to see her father bleeding and tied up in a basement.” 

“Hm. Have they been getting more frequent?”

“Possibly. Though I think she’d like to talk to you about it. If you’d like to come in. She saw you save me and trusts you.” 

Anakin was surprised. Humans typically didn’t introduce their offspring to demons. Unless they were really terrible humans. 

“Would you like to come in? I know it’s late but if there’s any insight you could give her it would be greatly appreciated. And I don’t know if you’ve made arrangements but you’re welcome to stay here for the night of course.” 

Actually a place to sleep would be nice as Anakin was tired. “Sure. Lead the way.” He soon found himself sitting at a kitchen table as Ben made tea. He could hear someone walking around upstairs. He definitely sensed energy from up there. Actually, a ton of it. That was strange. Then the energy was coming down the stairs in time with footsteps. A dark skinned teenage girl who was petite but had a boldness about her looked at him in shock, clearly not expecting company. 

“Ahsoka,” Ben said. “This is Ander.” 

“You guys travel fast, huh?” The girl said, gaining her bearings. 

“Very fast,” Anakin smiled. “So your dad said you’ve been having trance states?” 

“I’ve just been calling them not-dreams,” she replied, taking a seat at the table. 

“Trance state is an umbrella term. Visions, retrocognitions, prophetic dreams...they all require a sort of altered state of consciousness. Have you experienced anything outside the retrocognitions? Heightened clarity in normal dreams, sensory triggers?” 

“No. I mean I don’t think so. But I think it’s been happening more often.” 

“Hm. Not surprising. You carry way more energy than most humans. And it’s...restless. Your powers are still developing.” 

“What do you mean more energy? How is that possible?” 

Anakin sighed. “This is all tricky to explain to beings who have such...physically oriented bodies. Compared to us you’re practically made of stone where we’re light and air. Here,” he tapped his own chest slightly to the left side, “is where humans keep a lot of their energy. Not only are your hearts like batteries but certain kinds of energy pools there. Some of it it’s from emotion, some of it’s from sodium and potassium ions, some of its from the sun or from food your eat. Whatever, it has a lot of sources. Most humans have energy pools that are like, say...as bright as keychain flashlights. Sometimes I come across people who have reading lamps or big flash lights. Yours is a headlight. I’m surprised that a little retrocognition is all you’ve experienced.” 

“Wait, I see the past because I have too much energy in my chest. What kind of sense does that make?!” 

“It’s not just in your chest. I’m just trying to give you an idea of how much you have.”

“Well how do I get rid of it?!” 

Anakin went very serious. “Don’t. Don’t ever do that. I mean some of your kind work spells or whatever that deplete their reserves for short periods. That’s fine. But just...draining that energy would be like draining your blood. It’s part of your life force and doing that could very well kill you. Don’t let anyone ever convince you to let them use it either. I have met some nasty people, demon and human alike, who would kill to be able to drain you and use your energy for their own ends.”

Ahsoka was very still and her eyes were wide. “I-I had no idea.” 

“You have to be careful. I would have figured Ben could have told you something at least. I mean you must have inherited part of this from him.” 

“Ben’s not by biological dad. He was my parents’ closest friend and they died when I was a baby.” 

“I’m sorry,” Anakin said, meaning it. His kind didn’t produce like that but those wounds always left deep scars. 

“Wait, I don’t have any of this...energy either so even if we shared familial DNA how would that matter?” 

“You have it, too,” Anakin said, sipping his tea. He’d never been a fan but it was quite good. “I mean not like her. I’ve been stopping into this planet every now and then for thousands of years and I’ve never seen a presence like hers. I didn’t notice at first because it’s usually mostly concentrated in the chest. Yours is here,” he touched the hollow of his own throat. “Like a little ember. Subtle but unique.” 

“So you’re a demon that reads chakras?” Ahsoka deadpanned, unimpressed. 

“And you’re a teenager who needs to read her own energy levels. Once you hit Majority you could be in for a serious manifestation of power.” 

“Once I hit what?” 

“It’s what we call becoming an adult in my world. When your power reaches its highest point. That’s adulthood for us.” 

“And when will that happen?” Ahsoka asked, looking scared once more. 

“I don’t know. I can give you the titles of some good books on the subject. If you read Latin I could give you more. But they’ll teach you how to get a read on yourself. And on other people. Also a good idea to start learning to meditate. It can help you through rougher trances and with focusing other abilities if they manifest.” 

“I can read Latin. Well some. And what else might manifest?”

“Without knowing your familial history that’s hard to say.” He put his hand up and a small written list of books appeared in it. “Start here.” Then Anakin yawned loudly.

“We should let our guest get to bed, Ahsoka.” 

“Has been a long day,” Anakin agreed. “And if you want I can help you with meditation tomorrow. Your call though.” 

“Yeah,” Ahsoka muttered. “Hey, one more question.” 

“Shoot.” 

“You say you don’t have a corporeal form in your natural state. So how do you have a spoken language?” Hey, another smart human. Two in one day. That was a record. 

“‘Majority’ would be the translation. But good question. We communicate through energy pulses. But also a little through...singing is the closest term. We harmonize energy like you would notes to make a chord.” 

“Whoa, that’s so cool. Dad, you teach physics. How is that not amazing to you?”

“It is amazing. I didn’t know until you asked.”

“Could you show us?” Ahsoka had gone from bleary eyed and vaguely scared to excited and Anakin approved of the change. 

Anakin considered. He was tired but it was so refreshing when humans showed a real interest in his life instead of trying to use him as a means to an end. 

“Okay, give me a second.” He stood from the table and closed his eyes, finding the benign strands of energy he needed. He had to work extra hard with the limitations of a physical form. But he found them and gathered them as though holding them in an invisible hand. Typically this was done to express a deep emotion. He focused on the feeling of togetherness that flowed through the house. How Ben and Ahsoka loved each other and clearly had good memories here. Then he released the energy, now harmonized since it had a collective purpose. He didn’t think humans could hear all of it but they could likely feel it. 

The song wasn’t joyous but it was...content. With small notes of sadness and loss. Anakin tried just listening with his human ears. It was definitely audible but it didn’t sound like anything people here would call music. It didn’t have a melody as it wasn’t meant to be replicated. Each song was it’s own unique message from one demon to another. 

Anakin opened his eyes to see what Ahsoka and Ben thought. For two intelligent people they both looked slackjawed. 

“That was...incredible!” Ahsoka exclaimed. “I mean the sound was...like a glass flute but better. And I could feel so much! It was like seeing memories on replay!” 

Anakin smiled. “Someone with your level of energy would likely get more out of it.” 

“I...I appreciated it as well.” Ben said. “It felt so deeply personal. Like being wrapped up in emotion and light.” 

“That kind of communication actually translates to ‘lightsong’,” Anakin smiled wistfully. “And it’s supposed to be emotional. It’s how we get some of our most intimate feelings across to one another.” 

“Like if you were in love with someone you’d create that for them?” Ahsoka asked. 

“I-yes. That’s a ritual of sorts though. We aren’t monogamous. We live too long for that to be reasonable. But I only made that kind of call once. It wasn’t reciprocated in the way I had hoped it would be. Lost my taste for it.” 

“Soo...instead of being scary and horrible demons make sound with emotion and energy?” Ahsoka deadpanned. 

Anakin sighed. “Not all demons are the same. Not all of them come from where I do and even my kind, we’re capable of terrible things. Don’t be fooled by the pretty sounds and good feelings. I could just as easily use that ability to wrap someone in their darkest fears, drive them insane with nightmares and traumatic memories. In fact I've done that. Most demons who get summoned here or find their way here some other way, they come to wreak havoc. Sometimes it’s mildly annoying. Other times it’s murder, starting wars, mass suffering. I’ve done things I’m not proud of. I’m not a white hat. But I like this place. It’s interesting. I don’t like hurting people unless I have a good reason but when I killed Palpatine, there was no emotion at all in that decision. I feel the same way about it as you would about stepping on an ant.”

Ahsoka seemed to consider this. Good. He needed her to understand that demons weren’t misunderstood benign tricksters. Anakin was an outlier. Earth was more than interesting to him, it could be downright fascinating. No one in his home ever thought to modify things for their own betterment. Or enjoyment. No engines, no gravity-defying aircraft, no art aside from the occasional lightsong, and hardly any of the demons in his realm used it for pleasant reasons. He spent most of his time there in solitude. Not that demons tended to have best friends. 

He didn’t know why he just told two humans that he was basically a failure as a demon, at least in one respect, but now there was awkward silence. “Well. I am exhausted now. Is your couch still free?” 

“Oh yes, take the guest bedroom. It’s down the hall from my own room. I’ll get you set up with a fresh towel. One moment.” 

Showers. Showers were so nice. He’d forgotten that, too  
. After enjoying one and getting into his bed, Anakin thought that this was definitely the most interesting trip to Earth he’d had in a very long time.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ben thought he was handling things pretty well, considering the circumstances. Healing concussion, daughter having episodes retrocognition that would likely escalate, and a demon asleep in his guest bedroom. A demon who had saved his life, killed his murderous colleague, and counseled his daughter about her apparent paranormal abilities. Who’d created a sound that any monastery would weep to hear, then told them that he wasn’t to be trusted. Or at least his kind wasn’t. 

Ben wasn’t sure if there was some rule or advisory against waking up a literal sleeping demon, but he had a class to teach and needed to check in with the man. Knocking didn’t work so he tentatively opened the unlocked door. 

And...oh. Anakin was sleeping mostly on one side, shirtless and offering a view of his muscled back with the dark blue comforter pulled up to his chin. He looked impossibly young for a being that was thousands of years old. And impossibly angelic for a demon. His hair was curled up from where he’d apparently gone to bed with it wet, sunlight from the window catching hints of gold in the dark brown. Objectively he was beautiful, and Ben thought that demons could easily lure humans to their deaths like this. 

Shaking himself out of his reverie, he cleared his throat. Nothing. “Anakin.” A stretch of leg under the covers. “Anakin!” Finally the demon’s eyes were open, looking around blearily. He wiped drool from his mouth with the back of his hand and yawned loudly. Well, so much for the angelic part. 

“Mm. Morning.” He stretched a bare arm and flopped onto his back, comforter riding low in his hips. God, Ben was not going to think about a timeless being sleeping naked. He wasn’t. Ahsoka was right. He needed to date more. 

“Good morning. I’ve made breakfast and coffee in the kitchen if you’re inclined. Ahsoka’s at school and I’ll be teaching until the evening. I was wondering what your plans were for today?”

Anakin lazily pointed to the laptop he’d brought with him, still in it’s box. “That. Also when Ahsoka gets back we can start on meditation. She’s old enough to start worrying about hitting Majority. When she does, others will be able to sense it. And she needs to know what to expect from human Majority. I may try and find some contacts around town. You need wards, protection spells around the house.” 

“You incinerated a man with your mind. You couldn’t do that?” 

Anakin shook his head sleepily and yawned again. “Against the rules. Not my kind of magic anyway.” 

“There are rules?”

“You teach physics. There are always rules. We can talk about them later. You have class, I have technology to investigate.” 

Anakin stood then and oh dear God he was naked. Ben turned his head but knew his face was completely red. 

“Sorry, I forget how weird some of you are about nudity. You’d think having a solid body, you’d be used to other solid bodies. I have pants on now.” 

Ben turned back around. “Yes, well, um, I suppose those norms vary across cultures. I um, I suppose non-corporeal entities don’t need such distinctions.” 

“Nope,” Anakin grinned. “Demons run naked.” 

“Apparently. I just ah, wanted to check...Not that I don’t appreciate your help…” 

“You want to make sure I’m not going to destroy your house out of boredom, invite demon friends over, or hurt your daughter? I get it. My little speech last night was all true. But you’ve shown me hospitality and trust and I’ll honor it. Can I see my pendant?” 

Ben handed the strange totem he kept in his pocket over. Anakin took it in one large hand, palm upward, and closed his fist around it. 

“Put your hand over mine.” 

Ben did so if a bit hesitantly. 

“I, Anakin Skywalker, A’nth’nikth of Sh’mkn’ith Wkthe’airSkye, swear an oath to not harm the human Ben Kenobi or his daughter Ahsoka Tano-Kenobi. I swear to do no harm to their persons or property, may it be sealed in my blood.” 

Ben was only slightly horrified to feel a warm liquid under his hand and see blood drip from between Anakin’s closed fingers. Anakin nodded and ben removed his hand which now had demon blood on it. The demon opened his hand to reveal a cut across the palm which was already sealing. The pendant was...absorbing the blood. It glowed faintly and settled once again. 

“There, now I officially cannot hurt you or Ahsoka. Can’t even take a joyride in your car.” He winked at that and Ben was glad he was already red-faced. 

“I-thank you. That means a great deal to me.” 

Anakin nodded and went straight for the laptop so Ben assumed they were done. “I’ll be home around six.” And he was out the door. Maybe he wasn’t concussed. Maybe he had a brain tumor that was giving him hallucinations of attractive non-humans living in his house and his daughter developing psychic powers. Maybe he’d get to the University and Palpatine would already be teaching his class on the opposite side of campus and they’d meet for lunch like they always did on Mondays. 

The slight feel of the pendant in his pocket told him otherwise.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The last time Anakin had been to earth computers hadn’t been so ubiquitous. But oh how far they’d come. It hadn’t taken him long to figure out wi-fi and with a little magic he’d connected to the Kenobi household’s network. Everything was here! So much energy in this new network of computers and phones. It made landlines look like cute little toy trains on static tracks. There were addresses just for socializing, ones for sex, and cats. Cats were everywhere for some reason, but he appreciated that. People were exchanging information, art, music, books, so many ideas at such a rapid pace. It was exhilarating. It made him check the security of his iron bracelet as a nervous habit but he hardly payed attention to that. He was engrossed. 

“Um...Ander?” 

Anakin looked up from his laptop on the floor of the guest bedroom to see Ahsoka in the doorway. Huh. He glanced at the clock on the machine. He’d spent all day exploring what it could show him. 

“Hey, you out of school already?” 

“Yeah. Dad won’t be home for a couple of hours. I was wondering um, about the meditation and book stuff? I managed to text them to dad and he found two of them in the University library but not much luck on the others. Figured I might have to scour the internet later.” 

“Everything is on here! I can’t believe how fast humans created this and what you’ve done with it. This is...I mean this is practically a kind of magic all by itself!” 

“Yeah, um I guess so. I never thought about it like that.” 

Anakin noticed that Ahsoka seemed nervous. “Hey, you don’t have to be scared of me. I know I told you about how bad we can be, but I took an oath not to hurt you or your dad. I just wanted you to know that they’re more often than not a serious threat.” 

“Yeah, I figured. It’s not that...at school today I kind of...had another retrocog moment. A bad one.” 

“Wanna tell me about it?” 

“Sure. Uh, bring your computer to the kitchen. You shouldn’t have it sitting on the carpet like that. It’ll overheat.” 

Once they were settled at the kitchen table Ahsoka started nervously. “I was in AP English which is usually boring anyway but I just started to...fade out. I saw a house which wasn’t too weird but then I was in the house. I was in a living room but it reminded of me of the basement dad was in. Weird stuff on the floors and walls. Another old white guy, this one with a big, bushy beard. No furniture around really. There was a circle drawn on the floor with all kinds of lines and patterns in it, all in white. It was kinda dark but there was someone sitting in the circle. But out of it, hands tied behind their back. I think it was a woman but I’m not sure.” Ahsoka looked like she was fighting back tears. 

“It’s okay. If you need to take a break that’s fine.” 

“No, I have to get this out. The man, he had a knife. A huge curved one. He said things but not words I could understand. Then he...he slit her throat! It was awful! And then I saw his shadow only it wasn’t a shadow, it was a demon standing with him. I saw it’s face for just a second and it wasn’t human. The face was all red and black and it’s teeth were sharpened. It had yellow eyes. It grinned, like it could see me. And then I woke up screaming in class.” She brushed some stray tears away as she calmed and Anakin knew with dawning horror what kind of demon she had seen. And it very well may have seen her too.

“Okay. I won’t lie to you. This is serious. It’s not a we-have-to-leave-right-now emergency though. But you should call your dad, tell him to get those books, and get home sooner rather than later.” 

“Texting him now,” the girl said, fingers flying over one of the small computers that were now considered phones. He should probably get one of those. 

“Alright. What you saw is a kind of demon called a Zabrak. It’s...one of the nastier kinds out there. They feed off of terror, pain, and suffering. Inflicting those things is what they raise their kind to do. I’ve never met one that was human-friendly. If it’s working with a human it’s either bound to him or using him to and end.” 

Her phone rang. “Yeah, hey dad. Um, vision issue. Ander says it’s important. Not empty the bank account and get on a plane important, but very of the not-good. Yeah. Hey, he wants to talk to you.” 

Anakin took the phone. “What’s going on?” He could hear the undertone of panic in Ben’s voice. 

“Ahsoka saw an event that happened, probably today. It was...brutal. And might effect her. If you can’t skip out early it’s not the end of the world. I’ll stay here. But I need to go out tonight to find someone to ward your house. The sooner the better.” 

“Okay, see you soon, then.” 

“Ben’s gonna be home soon. When he gets here I’ll head out to try and find the magical community. Get someone to ward the the house against intruders and dark magic. It might be a good idea to get someone to ward it against demons.” 

“Then you couldn’t be here?”

“No, but it might be safer. I’ll see what I can find. If a Zabrak is working with a human somewhere in this city then it’s a really bad sign. Only someone very powerful or very stupid would summon one or try to make a deal with it. And whatever they’re after it’s logical to assume that it will need a lot of energy to reach its end goal.” 

“Shit. Like me?” 

“Yes. Or possibly even me. But it more important to get you protection.” 

“Wait, why would it hurt another demon?” 

“It’s not my kind. If it wants energy, I’m literally made of a kind that’s easy to harness if you tear me apart. More than a few beings from my world have met their end that way.” 

“You need protection too!” 

“I know a few things about fighting. I have been around for a few thousand years. You on the other hand are a squishy human who doesn’t understand her own powers yet.” 

“You could train me to fight!” The girl looked well, kind of adorably excited at the prospect.

“I can’t, actually. It’s against the rules. I can’t take human sides except under certain conditions. I can teach you meditation because that’s neutral. But I can’t do anything that would declare me for your side like that.” 

“Who makes these rules?” He appreciated her skepticism. 

“We just refer to them as Elder Ones. They don’t really interfere in affairs of demons or mortals except for a few instances. Making sure demons can’t enlist in human armies is one of those instances.” 

“You said there were conditions.” 

“Ones I can’t abide by. You or Ben would have to perform a binding. Binding is one of the worst things humans do.” 

“How so?” 

“I’d lose my free will. I’d be a slave. I took an oath not to harm you. But I will NOT be bound. I’d rather be torn apart by a Zabrak.” The dark look on his face apparently startled the girl. 

“Hey, I didn’t know. I would never do that. Human or no, that’s like twenty kinds of unethical. No being deserves that.” 

“I-I’m glad you understand.” 

“So. We wait for dad. How do you feel about pizza?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to make my chapters longer but it's been a really busy weekend/upcoming week. Which is why I was lazy and just named an entire species of demons Zabrak. Shrugs.
> 
> Anakin loves the internet and will soon learn that the word for what he does to Ben is 'trolling'. Ben will prove that as a human, he can troll back.


	4. Pizza and Protection

“How are you eating a fourth slice of pizza?” 

“I don’t get hungry but I have seriously missed this,” Anakin said, chewing a bit with his mouth open. Humans had done the impossible. They’d improved upon pizza. And all it taken was a little pineapple and some crushed pepper flakes. He probably had sauce on his face but he didn’t care. “Besides, demons are linked to sin and so far I’ve hardly done that since I was summoned. We’ll count this as gluttony.”

Ahsoka laughed at at that and Anakin appreciated the sound. All the talk of impending powers and seeing demons in her visions had probably been weighing on her. He heard Obi-Wan’s car pull up in the driveway and reminded himself that he needed to head out soon to find someone to ward the house. But for just a few more minutes...cheesy pineapple goodness. 

“What on earth have you two been up to?” Ben asked, a bit exasperated. To be fair the kitchen was a mess. They’d ordered two pizzas and had demolished most of one already. For someone so tiny Ahsoka could eat. They’d also printed out some information that Anakin deemed solid on meditating and preparing for a Majority. So along with pizza crust there were pages covered in highlighter and sauce all over the counter. He’d gotten distracted from pointing out the differences in energy management in yoga and tai chi by Ahsoka’s explanation of Spotify. Upon which he’d demanded she bring up everything possible by Bruce Springsteen and she’d complained about him listening to “dad music”. So yeah, the kitchen was a bit messy. 

“‘Ander’,” Ahsoka drawled, knowing now that that wasn’t his name, “was teaching me about Majority. We may or may not have gotten distracted just a little. But I’ll clean it up, promise!” 

“Good to know. Now tell me about what you saw,” And it was kind of endearing how Ben’s face was all...caring about his kid. Once Ahsoka had relayed what she’d seen Ben was worried too, and Anakin couldn’t blame him. 

For some reason though Anakin really wanted both of them to feel safe. “I’ll find someone soon. If not tonight then over the next couple of days. Don’t worry, we’ll get this place warded. It’ll take a little longer to see if anyone knows anything about a Zabrak demon, but it won’t be impossible.”

“Gonna go hang out at a seedy bar and see if any magical types look shifty?” Ahsoka asked, clearly intrigued at the prospect.

“Actually I was gonna start at the greenhouse. Usually the green witches in town know what’s going on with who. Not that they’re unusually strong psychics, just typically prone to gossip. But it’s possible I’ll end up at a bar. Or a library. One of the strongest witches in the 1970s was a children’s librarian.” Anakin shrugged. “Ben knows how to contact me if there’s an emergency.”

Ben nodded. “Be careful out there. And thank you.” 

With that Anakin headed out into the evening light and into town. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seriously, green witches. They’d nearly talked his ears off and the didn’t even know him! The woman who owned the greenhouse was fairly powerful though all too eager to play matchmaker between Anakin and her nephew. And he’d seemed like a perfectly...human human, but she should have double checked that Anakin didn’t read quite normal even for the magical community. Not that Anakin hadn’t gotten involved with humans before but he had a mission. And he wasn’t interested, anyway. 

However he’d gotten some information about someone who might be able to help him. Two someones actually. Though by the time he’d gotten to the mechanic’s shop where they worked it was closed. So...bar. He was now in a bar in that weird time just after happy hour ended and bartenders and waitstaff were playing the “who’s who” game of sorting patrons into the “social drinker” and “here to get tanked” camps. 

Glancing around Anakin let himself stop relying on physical sight and rely on his stronger sense; That of sensing energy. Most people were average but there were a few more than he’d expect who had the higher concentration of energy that signaled real power. 

And there, by a back booth were twin lights, almost like looking at a car’s headlights. Not as strong as Ahsoka, of course, but considerably magically endowed. Glancing around Anakin saw they were literal twins. Two young men with light brown skin and dark features, though one who apparently bleached what little hair he had. They were with two normal humans so Anakin settled in with his beer at the bar and waited. After an hour or so the twins made to leave so Anakin took that as his cue. The parking lot was large enough to afford some privacy as he followed them to a nice-looking muscle car of some kind at the far end of the lot. 

He could tell their hackles had gone up so he called out. “Excuse me, I was hoping to talk to you both.” 

They turned around as one and huh, that was a little creepy. 

“What about?” The blonde one asked. 

“Community service, if you get my drift,” Anakin replied coolly. 

“You’re not from around here,” the dark haired twin said, as though that settled things. 

“I’m not. But my friend is and he really needs some help. Protection wards. Basic enough but needs to be strong. His kid is adopted,” Anakin said, laying the story on. “And neither he nor she had any clue that she was magical. So she’s about to hit Majority and they need someone to do some spells just in case. Fair pay.” 

“We don’t do that kind of work to make rent,” Dark Hair said. “Have to find somebody else.” 

“What if I said it’s not just a ‘just in case’ scenario that the wards are for?” Hopefully the prospect of doing something good would tempt one of them. If not then maybe he would consider looking elsewhere. The night was young, after all, and he didn’t need witches of dubious moral quality around Ben or Ahsoka. 

“What do you mean?” Blonde Hair asked.

“The girl has been having trance states. Retrocognition episodes, specifically. In one of them recently she saw something dark. A type of demon known to be particularly hostile was summoned nearby and she saw it. She’s worried it might have seen her, too.” 

“And how do we know you’re not lying?”

“Look, tracking down big guys in dark parking lots isn’t my idea of a fun night. I’m just looking for help for a friend.”

The twins seemed to have a conversation without talking verbally before Dark Hair sighed and Blonde Hair stepped forward. 

“Alright, we’ll at least meet them,” he said, reaching into his pocket and producing a card. “I’m Rex and this is Cody. You can reach at this number tomorrow. We can probably do the warding in the next few days or so but we want to meet the guy and kid first. Call tomorrow and set up a time.” 

Anakin nodded and gave his thanks before turning back towards the vast lot. Looking at the card for “Fett & Sons Autobody” he pocketed it and when he was obscured in shadow, willed himself back to the Kenobi residence.

He popped into the living room, startling Ben who was reading papers and drinking tea. 

“Sorry, should have gone to the guest bedroom,” Anakin said, putting his hands up and making sure Ben didn’t knock his tea over. 

“Quite alright. Just didn’t expect you back before midnight, I suppose.” 

Anakin yawned. “Witches and sorcerers have day jobs, too. But I think I found two brothers who might ward the place. They want to meet you first but I think they’re decent people.” 

“Your abilities can tell you that about them?” 

“No, that’s just lots of experience with humans,” Anakin smiled back. “But I think they’re legit. So if you’re up for meeting them tomorrow along with Ahsoka as a kind of consultation I think we’ll be all set.” 

“I can’t thank you enough for this. Really, if it weren’t for you well, I’d be dead and Ahsoka would have no idea what to do with these episodes of retrocognition.” 

“Hey, I like not having to stay in a hotel. They’re so boring. But really, it’s fine.”

Ben smiled and offered Anakin tea, which he took, settling into the opposite side of the gray couch. They sat in companionable silence for a few moments.

“You know, I suspected about Ahsoka before this. Or well, I should have. I brushed things off that perhaps I shouldn’t have. Dreams she had that a handful of times of events that had or did happen to me. Songs she’d sing to herself that she likely didn’t even realize she shouldn’t have known…” He frowned, draining his tea. 

“Hey, you couldn’t have known,” Anakin said. “It’s not like being magical is an easy thing to always track, even to people who know what to look for. You’re there for her though and that’s what matters.” 

“Mind if I ask how you got so good at parenting?” Ben was joking but Anakin could tell he also appreciated the words. 

“I’ve been around for a long time. While we’re making confessions, a very long time. One of the reasons I’ve been summoned so much is that frankly there aren’t many of my kind left. We don’t even have a name of our own anymore among humans anymore. So, I may not be a parent, but I know how important it can be to have someone.”

Ben looked a bit startled at that an Anakin figured it was time to get some rest. “Thanks for the tea. Goodnight.” 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ben sat up over an hour after Anakin had gone to bed. He’d graded a few more papers on autopilot but now he was very much distracted by man in his guest bedroom. He’d never met anyone like Anakin. Obviously he’d never met a demon before, but the...being himself.

He’d been mostly joking when he’d asked Anakin about his parenting skills and he hadn’t expected such a loaded answer. He knew Anakin didn’t call this world home but he hadn’t counted on catching a glimpse of how lonely his existence must be. The scene he’d come home to had been surprising but in a good way. Anakin and Ahsoka loudly taking over the kitchen with pizza and research hadn’t just been a mess. It felt...like home. Like something that should happen in the house all the time. 

Ben shook his head. He’d only just met Anakin and it was...disconcerting to say the least to have such thoughts about a relative stranger. Not to mention one who wasn’t human. But still, he was out finding protection for Ahsoka and had taken a vow to not harm either of them. Ben wasn’t an expert but that didn’t seem like typical demon behavior. Perhaps Anakin wasn’t typical at all, by human or demon standards. And god, yesterday when the demon had teased him while naked. Which was only naked by his standards as Anakin apparently only had a physical body while in a dimension which required it. Though physical form or not, flirting was flirting. 

With a final sigh Ben resolved to get some sleep. All he could do about Anakin for the moment was be grateful for his help and admit that he was in over his head. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Look, I know you hear everything that goes on in this town,” Padme said in frustration. “And I know my sister hasn’t just taken off for a long weekend somewhere. I can feel it. Something is very wrong.” 

Jocasta pushed a braided lock of white hair behind her ear. “I know you’re upset, but I haven’t heard anything about Sola. Honestly. If I or Shaak do hear anything, you’ll be the first to know, I promise. Aside from young man looking for warding help there’s been nothing out of the ordinary in this town for weeks.” 

Something prickled at Padme’s senses. “What young man?” 

“Oh, he came in last night. Very handsome. Tried to set him up with Tru but young people are so adverse to such things. New in town, I think and staying with friends. He said his name was Ander. I don’t think I got a last name…” The old woman trailed off but Padme knew this man was important, somehow. She wasn’t a seer for nothing. And why would someone crashing with friends need wards?

“Did you send him to Rex and Cody?” 

“Oh, of course. Hope he got in touch with him. You know those Fett boys are such darlings.” 

“Right. Well thank you, Madame Nu. I appreciate any help.” 

“Take care of yourself, dear.” 

And with that Padme left the greenhouse. She needed to go home and take care of some things but she’d give Rex a call soon. They were friends and she wanted to give this Ander time to contact him. She wished for the hundredth time that Sola hadn’t been so prone to taking off on random adventures. While Padme would never want to dampen her sister’s spirit, such habits made looking for her more difficult. And Padme had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach about her sister. She hadn’t felt this way since their parents had died years ago. For now though she had to wait. She’d call Sabe and ask her come over for a few days. Having her girlfriend’s steady presence nearby would help. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anakin didn’t like using phones. Indirect communication was...eerie somehow. But he managed to coordinate with Ben and Rex to set up a time for the brothers to come over that evening. It was a Friday so they’d come by around eight, after dinner. 

Anakin would rest easier knowing that Ben and Ahsoka were safe. And if the brothers could or would do an anti-demon spell, then Anakin would suck it up. He was a demon and he’d find somewhere else to sleep and use his computer. Ben only taught one class today so he’d be home early which would give Anakin a chance to lay out possible warding options. 

Ah, there was Ben’s car in the driveway now. Anakin double checked that the kitchen was tidy and his stack of printed out materials on meditation techniques was in on pile and not laying about everywhere. 

Ben said hello and made himself comfortable, settling his briefcase in the living room. It was only two in the afternoon and Anakin had made lunch. Well, he’d reheated pizza. But he’d tried. 

As Ben sat down with a slice Anakin wondered if he’d ever met another human with that shade auburn hair. It looked so nice in the afternoon light coming in from the windows. Even his beard caught the light just so. He imagined what the coarse hairs would feel like against his hand or face-huh. It’d been a very long time since he’d found a human attractive. But in all his years interacting with humans he’d never met one like Ben. The man didn’t seem to be aware of how singular he was. He was intelligent but more importantly adaptable. When faced with the impossible he’d embraced it and tried to find help for his daughter instead of running like most humans would. And he was warm. He’d taken Ahsoka in and Anakin had no doubt that if a stray kitten showed up it would soon find itself being a kept house pet. Anakin had to protect that. Protect him. 

“So we should probably talk about ways you might ward this place,” Anakin started off.

“Sounds logical. What would our options be?”

“I’m not sure exactly what kind of magic the Fett brothers wield, but basic charms for protection against those who mean you harm are good to have. Might involve burying some trinkets or bundles of herbs around the house and they usually only take a couple hours to put up. The more specific a spell is the stronger it needs to be, as a general rule. So if they can put up a ward against demons it might cost you more but would be worth it.”

Ben’s brow furrowed. “But then you couldn’t be in the house.”

“I know, but it would keep you and Ahsoka safer.” 

“But wouldn’t the spells to keep out those who mean us harm be a catch all? You don’t mean us harm and I wouldn’t want to put you out unless we had to.” 

Anakin was touched at the concern. “I mean the anti-harm spells would theoretically work. But I don’t want you to not use something helpful because of me.”

“If another demon barged in here, would you be able to fight it off?” 

Anakin took a moment to consider. “Possibly. I’d have a much better shot at it than either of you would. I’ve never fought a Zabrak but I’ve killed plenty of other demons.” 

“Demons kill each other?” 

“Oh, definitely. We’re not really pack animals and we tend to dislike other demons being around. Sometimes it’s about territory like with predatory demons. They want all the delicious human blood to themselves or whatever. But for the most part we’re like a bunch of catty teen girls. We just don’t like each other unless we’re using each other for something. I mean I have one or two friends who are demons but they’re not like me and we don’t hang out very often. There’s just no reason to.” 

“I never thought I’d ever have a conversation about the social habits of demons,” Ben said, finishing off his pizza. 

“I never thought I’d be helping a guy and his kid ward themselves against a Zabrak, so you don’t get a monopoly on dealing with the unexpected.” Anakin beamed. 

“I don’t mean to look a gift horse in the mouth, but why are you helping?” And huh, Ben’s eyes were a really pretty shade of stormy blue. 

Anakin shrugged. “I like you. I don’t like most humans. I mean I had no problems killing Palpatine. But you and Ahsoka are different. And you have a good thing together with your family. Usually humans have one of two reactions to a demon: Run or try to enslave it. Of all the humans I’ve met you’re some of the very few who don’t see things that way. You talk to me like I’m a person and not a thing. I like it.” 

“I hadn’t realized humans were so awful to demons.” Ben said quietly.

“I mean most of the time you should run from a demon. And it’s important for you and Ahsoka to know that. But there are some who are like me.”

“I don’t think anyone is like you,” Ben said. And Anakin would have assumed the worst about that statement except for the gentle expression on the man’s face. “I’m sorry that my kind has mistreated you.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I talked with Ahsoka about it some. Explained that there are boundaries to what I can do for her without being bound and that I won’t be bound again. Believe me, being enslaved a couple of times by humans was more than enough.” 

“Enslaved?”

“Yep. That’s what Palpatine wanted to do to me. Summoners get it in their heads that they can just make anything they summon their thrall. The last person who did that to me deeply regretted that decision. Thankfully I was able to destroy almost everything in print about my name and how they did it. I’m not proud of slaughtering most of his village but I don’t regret it, either.”

“That’s horrible. I’m sorry you had to endure that. No one should ever be able to do that to another being.” 

“See, that’s why I like you.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dinner that night wasn’t pizza so Anakin had planned on not eating. But it turned out that Ben was an excellent cook. He made a butternut squash soup and a salad that made things grown in mud and excrement look fantastic. At this rate Anakin’s physical body was going to put on pounds. 

“I have an important question about these brothers that are coming over,” Ahsoka said from her seat across from Anakin at the table. 

“Shoot.” 

“Are they cute?” 

Anakin laughed. “Maybe? I don’t tend to notice humans like that.” 

“I don’t believe that,” Ahsoka said with an air of finality. 

“Oh? And why not?” 

“You can pick your physical form, right?”

“Of course I can.” 

“So you picked one that’s attractive. Meaning you must have some interest at some point in humans.” 

“Maybe I’m just emulating your norms for what attractive is to better get what I want from people.” Anakin grinned. 

“You’d seriously do that?” Ahsoka looked unsure.

“Nah. I’ve used this form for a long time. It’s...comfortable. And when it comes to your genders I just feel more ‘male’ so I express myself as a man.” 

Ahsoka and Ben made to do the dishes but Anakin insisted. With a snap of his fingers they were done. 

“Why can’t my powers be like that?” Ahsoka whined. “Seeing stuff in the past is so lame.” 

“It isn’t. Plus I have a feeling that however your powers end up after your Majority, you won’t think that about them either.” 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Rex and Cody finally arrived it was dark out. Anakin let them in and introduced Ben and Ahsoka. 

“So you’ve been havin’ visions?” Rex asked from his spot on the sofa. Ahsoka was in a high backed chair with her legs pulled up to her chest. Rex, Cody, and Anakin were on the sofa while Ben stood, having finished serving everyone tea. 

“Yeah. Retrocognition episodes. And I saw a demon in one yesterday.” 

“Are you sure it was a demon?” Cody asked. 

“I’m pretty sure that’s what they black and red skin and pointed teeth meant, yeah,” Ahsoka responded dryly. Anakin had to suppress a laugh. Ahsoka had the snippiest attitude. 

“Seriously?” Rex asked, eyes wide. 

“Yeah, seriously. It was awful. Had these terrible yellow eyes, too. It and the old guy it was with killed someone. It’s not something I ever want to see again.” 

“Don’t blame you,” Rex said. 

“And how do the two of you know Ander?” Cody asked. 

“Family friend,” Ben said hastily. 

“One who knows about magic?” Cody pressed. 

“I have some ability but not much,” Anakin lied. “But I figured for something like this we needed to be as careful as possible.” 

“Don’t lie,” Cody replied. “I don’t know what kind of magician you are but you have plenty of power. I can feel it.” 

“Fine, I have power but not the kind needed to ward a house.” Anakin said defensively. 

“We’ll do it,” Rex said evenly. 

“Hey!” Cody snapped. 

“We will,” he repeated. “No one should have to be afraid of murderous demons. We can cast strong wards that will keep out anyone who had negative intentions towards anyone in the house.” 

“What about demon specific wards?” Anakin asked. 

“Sorry, afraid we don’t have too much experience with demons.” Rex said. 

“Demon specific wards would be find to hard guides on. Anything that specific generally is. I don’t think our family is well connected enough for that.” Cody added.

Well, Anakin had tried. 

Finally Rex and Cody stood to leave. Rex insisted on shaking hands which seemed to baffle Cody, Anakin noticed. Hm. Rex specifically made sure to shake Ahsoka’s hand, telling her her that they’d “put up their strongest wards for her”. Ah, there it was, Anakin thought. Then he saw Cody attempt the same thing with Ben! Anakin moved swiftly and put his arm around Ben’s waist, giving Cody a pointed smile which made him abort the handshake. 

When the brothers had left Ben excused himself immediately to clean up the tea cups. On the front porch, watching the tail lights of the muscle care, Ahsoka turned to Anakin. 

“Smooth. Very smooth,” she said, the words dripping sarcasm. 

“What?” he asked defensively. 

“You basically just peed on my dad’s leg. Don’t play coy.” 

“Oh, that. Um...sorry?”

Ahsoka snorted. All in all it had been a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka is a senior in high school in this and nothing is happening between her and a grown adult. This is just Rex being a protective teddy bear because it's what he does. 
> 
> Feel like I've been super slow on updates lately. But in my defense I just took a state certification exam that was a month in the making.


	5. Contradictions and Clans

Rex didn’t normally push for these kinds of jobs, but seeing the girl’s father look so lost and the girl herself fighting to be brave after seeing a demon, well they couldn’t leave them to fend on their own. He hadn’t sensed anything off in the house except being unable to pinpoint how Ander used magic. 

Regardless, in a couple of days the moon would be in an ideal position to perform the ritual and Ander said he was more than capable of providing protection until then. They were certainly an interesting little family unit. Ander had said he was just a friend but the way he’d gotten himself between Kenobi and Cody wasn’t fooling anyone. Cody had grumbled about taking the job but he’d no more let a kid go without protection than Rex would for all his twin liked to put up the front of uninterested badass. Besides that, seventeen was young to start exhibiting strong signs. He and Cody hadn’t shown any of their father’s magical aptitude until they were in their early twenties. 

He pushed the thought out of his head and focused on his morning coffee. They’d have time to get ready for the warding. The ringing of his cell phone distracted him. Who the hell would call him this early? Checking the number he realized it was Padme. 

“Hey, Padme.” 

“Hi, Rex. Sorry to call so early but I think Sola’s gone missing. More importantly I think someone new in town may know something about it. Some white guy, tall, early to mid twenties named Ander. Jocasta said she sent him your way.” 

“Yeah, I met Ander. He tracked me and Cody down to do a warding spell on his friend’s home. He seemed odd but not vicious. Are you sure Sola hasn’t just taken another one of her spontaneous trips to the coast or something?” 

“Rex, you know my skill set. This isn’t Sola being a free spirit. Something is very wrong. Where can I find Ander?” 

“Look, I can’t just give up his location. Not when there’s a minor involved. How about I arrange a meeting between the four of us? As soon as possible, I promise.” 

He could hear his friend sigh and take a deep breath. “Okay, but definitely as soon as you can. Rex, I haven’t felt like this since my parents died and the visions I had weeks ago...it’s hard to tell what’s the future and what’s only a possible outcome but I need you on this.” 

“Hey, friends to the end. I’ll get hold of Ander and give you a call back soon. Is Sabe with you?” 

“She’s coming over after work today.” 

“Alright, good. If anything else comes up don’t hesitate to give me or Cody a call. I’ll talk to you soon, yeah?” 

“Yeah, okay. Thank, rex.” 

“Of course.” 

Rex downed the rest of his coffee in one go. Seemed he’d have to make a call or two before going into work. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Padme felt better after talking to Rex. He always did the right thing, or tried to. And he believed her that something was off which made him the first aside from Sabe. She would have preferred an address for this Ander person but if there was a kid involved then she supposed she understood his reluctance. 

Still, if Ander seemed like he was holding something back or was involved with Sola’s disappearance, she’d kill him first and ask questions later. There was a slightly painful sensation in the center of her forehead. The kind that meant a vision was coming. She sat back on her sofa and waited, hoping it wouldn’t be about Sola’s death. Her vision faded out and a scene took shape before her. 

She was in a house not so different from her own in terms of layout but the decor was sparse. Expensive but sparse. A couple abstract paintings, some statuettes and books that definitely looked of the occult, and severe looking furniture. A man who could have been anywhere between late forties and early sixties, face partially hidden behind a thick grey and white beard sat on the black sofa. Someone else was behind him but he only appeared as a shadow. Like a three dimensional shape of black on black, radiating malevolence. The man, despite his casually crossed legs and glass of wine in hand, looked a bit shaken. 

“The first went off without a hitch. There’s no reason to think that the subsequent rituals won’t follow suit.” The man’s aristocratic accent was steady but he practically gulped his wine. 

“A mere handful of deaths! And days apart! You should not have involved me in this if you knew you couldn’t satisfy my appetites.” 

“And once the criteria have been met you’ll have your desires met. You can sense as well as I what’s in this town. The potential here. I know your kind isn’t known for patience but this will pay off for both of us. The second has been acquired and then only two more after that.”

“I want the child. The one who hasn’t fully manifested. Her potential will be mine.” 

The man looked like he wanted to argue but thought better of it. “Then yours she shall be. For the final rite.” 

With a jolt Padme was back in her own living room, headache receding. She had to find out who this man was. And worse, what the thing with him was. She shuddered thinking of the sheer darkness of the other presence. So they were performing four rites, one of which had been completed. And the second...something had been acquired. With a horrible feeling in her gut she had to wonder if the ‘second’ meant a second person. Their town was home to a private University and a thriving local business scene. Murder wasn’t typically something that happened. Then again, they also seemed to house a disproportionate number of magic users, and statistically some of them had to be Dark. 

Padme was many things, but passive wasn’t one of them. She refused to sit around until Sabe got off work. Instead she put on a pot of coffee and got ready to go work in her home office. She could alternate between working on stories for the local paper and researching wealthy older men who might be connected to Dark magic. She reminded herself that she could do this and panicking wouldn’t help anyone. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Humans were oddly intent on ignoring things they knew, which was extra strange given their short life spans. Anakin knew that Ben was interested in him and that Ben knew Anakin was interested, but Ben was acting like he didn’t know that. Maybe he was okay with being on friendly terms with a demon but not interested in more than that...which would be fair. Anakin’s own opinion of most humans was grim. 

Clearing his mind he focused on helping Ahsoka clear her own. She was a quick learner for which he was grateful. It was a nice fall Saturday and they were practicing in the back yard in a warm patch of sunlight. 

“When your mind’s cleared, focus on just feeling. Not with your primary senses but with the energy inside you. Accept that every blade of grass, rock, insect, and tree has some kind of energy in it. Let it come to you but don’t force it.” 

“So empty my mind then fill it?” 

“No, empty it of conscious thought and let it be filled. There’s a difference.” 

He heard Ahsoka take a deep breath and felt her her energy shift. It was no longer restless, it was listening. Patient. He smiled slightly and slipped easily into his own mindframe of seeing the world as its energy. It was a vast, interconnected network of things exchanging energy, changing, as currents and patterns of physical, electrical, and other forms of force sped through the world at different paces. He focused on the two of them as steady beings of light rooted within it all. 

He gently pushed his consciousness against Ahsoka’s, nudging her to see what he meant. She practically there by herself but well, time was of the essence at the moment. 

“Holy shit!” 

Anakin laughed and opened his eyes, seeing the girl still had hers closed. 

“It’s...it’s everything and moving but not and changing and it’s all this one huge thing but also a million little things! What do you call this?” 

“I mean I don’t call it anything. It’s how I perceive things all the time when I’m in my own dimension. I honestly wasn’t sure that you’d be able to get it exactly. I don’t think many humans could.” 

The girl opened her eyes. “When I see things like that, can I touch them?” 

“That’s a good question. I can, but that would be considered a major point of power for you. I advise you against it until you’re more comfortable with meditation in general and that kind of perception as well.” 

“Aw, I guess that’s fair. Hm. You called that...thing you did Lightsong. I’m calling seeing things like that Lightsight.” 

“Hah, I like it. Ready to start on Tai Chi?” 

“Isn’t that for old people?” 

Anakin snorted. “Maybe, Snips. But it’s also for anyone who wants to learn about their internal flow of energies.” 

The girl arched an eyebrow. “Snips?” 

“Because of your snippy attitude.” He grinned back. 

“And what am I supposed to call you? Because Ander just feels fake.” 

Anakin sighed. “I guess I am mentoring you, and if you ever need me in an emergency your dad shouldn’t be the only one who can reach me. But you know about why you can’t tell anyone else my name?” 

“Because they could potentially enslave you and that’s unforgivable.” 

“Right. I’m Anakin Skywalker.” 

“Skywalker? I guess it’s better than Lucifer or Beelzebub. I’m totally calling you Skyguy.” 

“I’ve certainly been called worse.” He smirked. “Though in front of anyone else-” 

“It’s Ander. I got it.” 

“Alright, up then. Mirror my pose.” 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chopping a bell pepper harder than was warranted, Ben looked out the kitchen window at his daughter practicing Tai Chi with a demon. And not just any demon. One who was helping them and living in their guest bedroom and who was messy and obsessed with technology and improbably kind. And attractive. And who was slightly possessive of him. He would have made an incredibly funny joke about a demon being possessive which Ahsoka would’ve rolled her eyes at, but he was too preoccupied for dad jokes. He was...attracted to Anakin? Which couldn’t happen because he wasn’t a man, he was a demon who’d have to eventually go back to his own dimension. Was there a guidebook on dealing with ill-advised attachments to demonic house guests? And now two magicians, earth mages they’d called themselves, were coming by in a couple of days to ward the house against evil because his daughter was somehow magical and had possibly garnered the attention of a demon who was actually incredibly malevolent. 

What was he doing chopping up produce? Shouldn’t he be scouring books for help or asking Anakin or Rex or Cody about other things he could do to help Ahsoka? He wished for the thousandth time that the Tanos had given him some kind of clue. He knew they both had grandparents and extended family along the Ivory Coast but could still be any number of countries and even then, no guarantee about what kind of powers she might inherit. Not to mention that his late friends didn’t seem to get along with their families. Well, there were the boxes of things in the basement, and some more in the storage unit. He couldn’t bring himself to part with any of it, not knowing what Ahsoka might want to keep or throw out once she was an adult. She’d been through some of it a few times but not in two or three years. Right then. After he finished prepping for dinner, he’d venture into the basement and see if he could find anything. Actually, maybe Anakin could help him. 

Ahsoka would be going to Barriss’ to spend time with her friends after dinner, but Anakin would be better suited at spotting magical objects or texts. Though...close confines in the basement with the being he was attracted to sounded like a terrible idea. But it was for Ahsoka. If he got her blessing to do so, of course. He wouldn’t go through her parents’ belongings without her approval. 

Before much longer dinner was ready and he called Anakin and Ahsoka in from their practice. 

“Make any progress?” He asked casually as everyone sat down to the table. 

“Yeah! Skyguy is really good at teaching this energy stuff. He taught me to see things like he does normally. Apparently even most magical humans wouldn’t be able to do it!” 

“Skyguy?” Ben asked with a confused expression. 

“Um, that’s kind of what I’m calling him when no one else is round. He told me his real name.” 

The surprise must have shown on his face because Anakin responded. 

“If there’s an emergency, Ahsoka should know how to get a hold of me, too. You can show her the pendant whenever you want.” 

“What pendant?” 

“I’ll show you later. But if there is an emergency and I’m...incapacitated, just hold it and say Anakin’s full name.” 

“Got it. So it’s still okay if I go to Barriss’ tonight?” 

“Yes, though I did want to ask you something before you take off. I thought it might be a good idea for Anakin and I to look through some of your parents’ things in the basement and see if we can possibly get a read on what to expect when your Majority hits.” 

“Oh. Um, yeah, that’s alright. Just be careful with it?” The almost nervous expression that Ahsoka got whenever her birth parents were brought up flitted across her face.

“Of course. I would never damage anything that belonged to them or you.” 

Anakin was going to comment when the phone rang. Thankfully Ben picked up. 

“Hello? Rex, good to hear from you. Yes, he’s here. One moment.” Ben put the phone against his shoulder. “Ander, Rex would like to speak with you.” 

Anakin stood and took the phone. 

“Ander here.” 

“Ander, it’s Rex. I tried calling this morning but no one picked up. Anyway, a friend of mine called this morning. She’s worried about her sister disappearing and well, Ahsoka mentioned seeing someone get killed. She wants to talk to you. Apparently Jocasta told her you’d been asking around.” 

“Ugh. Green witches. But I suppose it couldn’t hurt to talk.” 

“Good. You, me, Cody, and Padme should all meet somewhere neutral.” 

“Ben should come, too. He’ll want to be involved.” 

“I dunno. Padme’s primarily interested in talking to you. I don’t want to drag anyone non-magical or a kid into this unless we know for sure that her sister and the kid’s visions are connected.” 

“Huh. That’s a good point.” He needed to get back to his own dimension. He wasn’t sure what to do with these humans that he actually kind of liked. Lust, amusement, dispassionate intrigue...he was used to those things. But genuine affection and respect wasn’t something he associated with the irrational and usually selfish fleshy creatures here. Hell, there was a time, of several hundred years, where he’d hated this world and everyone on it with a seething rage. He was getting soft. “So just the four of us. When?”

“Tomorrow at one. There’s a coffee shop near Jocasta’s that has a private room.” 

“Got it. See you then.” 

“What was that about?” Ahsoka asked. 

“That was Rex asking me to meet a friend of his who’s worried about her missing sister and thinks I might know something. I’m going to meet with the twins and their friends and find out if it’s related to your episodes.” 

“Then I should go, too!” 

“No, not until I think we can trust this friend. I’ve never met her and she could be Dark for all we know. Or able to sense your potential. I can’t risk exposing you to unknowns right now. Either one of you.” 

“Yeah, alright,” Ahsoka grumbled, stabbing at her grilled vegetables. 

Anakin decided to lighten the mood. “Hey, what’s a Barriss?” 

Ahsoka rolled her eyes but also smiled a bit. “She’s been my best friend since first grade. I’m going to hang out with her and Riyo.” 

“And Riyo is….?” 

“...also a friend.” 

Anakin grinned. “Is Riyo just a friend?” 

Ahsoka sputtered and refused to make eye contact. 

“Of course she is!” She finally managed while combing fingers through her braids which were hanging perfectly untangled.

“Just asking!” Anakin said defensively but doing nothing to hide his smile. 

“Dad, I’m gonna go now. Have fun hanging out in the basement. I promise to be home by midnight and to text periodically. By the way, we need to get Skyguy a phone. Magical pendant can’t be his only method of distanced communication.” 

“You may be right about that. Have fun and tell the Offees I said hello.”

And with that Ahsoka was out the door, family car keys in hand. Anakin used his usual method of cleaning the dishes as Ben put away the leftovers. 

“Do you really think this friend of Rex’s is connected?” The professor asked, shutting the fridge. 

“Maybe. It feels like too much going on for it to be a coincidence. That asshole tries to summon me while someone else likely in the same area has also summoned a Zabrak? People who have the power to summon at all uncommon. It takes raw power, years of study, and the recklessness to play with things that could very well kill you if one syllable is out of place in the ritual. Not to mention motive. I mean I’ve summoned for some frankly absurd reasons but the common denominator in demon summoning is desperation. Someone wants something badly enough to risk everything.” 

“I never asked. What did Palpatine want?”

“The same thing a lot of people with not many years left want. Immortality.” 

“That’s horribly predictable. And all those years I considered him a friend.” 

“He probably was your friend for a lot of that time. The ritual to summon a lot of demons only works if you sacrifice something valuable to you. Honest truth, a grown woman once sacrificed her childhood stuffed bunny to summon me.” 

Ben’s jaw dropped. “And that worked?” 

“It was one of the things she most valued. She got a lot of the ritual wrong though. Most people do, like Palpatine.” 

“So, what did you do?” 

“Honestly I empathized with her. We had a long talk about what she really wanted out of life and I convinced her she was wasting her talent by trying to summon demons when she’d be better off using her gifts for things with less potential to end in her murder. That was a long time ago. The kind of repression women went through in 1600s Ireland...not pretty.” 

“So you, a demon, just played therapist for some poor woman?” 

“Look, I dislike most humans. Give the average one a bit of power and suddenly they’re taking shortcuts through everything. They summon because they want power, want a supernatural slave, they want adoration and money but don’t want to have to grow the ambition it would take to get there. She...just needed someone to talk to her like she wasn’t evil or broken or to be pitied. Like I said, I know what alone feels like. I did spend over half a century in slavery on this planet. She hadn’t fared much better, adjusting for our relative lifespans. Ninety-five percent of summoners are like your former friend though. Looking to use power and the suffering of others to get what they want.” 

“Sorry, I just suppose it’s odd to me that the same being who destroyed a village without remorse, not making a value judgement on that by the way, also took the time to help someone in a rough spot.” 

“To be fair my version of helping also included an offer to kill a handful of clergy for her.” 

“Ah, there it is.” 

“What? They were abusive wastes of flesh.” 

“I suppose I don’t have the detachment from my own humanity to see things from the perspective of someone who’s lived for over a thousand years.” 

“Hm, true. So what are we digging into in the basement?”

Anakin didn’t know why he seemed to itch for Ben’s approval. It was annoying. Why did he care what someone who’d probably be dead before he came back to this dimension thought of him? And...oh. That was a depressing thought. Suddenly his existence back home felt lonely to think about, especially since Ben and Ahsoka would age so fast here compared to him. But it wasn’t as though he could stay. They’d age and he wouldn’t and it would be impossible to disguise to anyone they knew. He’d just disrupt their lives. 

“Some of the things left to us by Ahsoka’s parents. I was hoping you might be able to help me identify anything of a magical nature or that hinted at the kind of powers she might inherit.” 

“Right, of course.” 

Down in the poorly lit basement Anakin thought that he should feel happy to be in close proximity to Ben. He’d never been shy about going after sex if he was interested. But he couldn’t shake the sadness of knowing that whatever contact he had with the Kenobi-Tano family was limited. A month, maybe two, and he’d have to find a way back home. They certainly weren’t looking for a permanent resident in their home. But he’d never had fun with anyone like he did when he was eating pizza with Snips or teasing Ben. Not even some of the chaos he’d stirred up for kicks in centuries past had been like that. 

“Are you alright?” 

“What? Yeah, why?” 

“I’ve been trying to get your attention but you were rather out to lunch. These markings, do they look like anything to you?” 

Anakin looked at the handful of papers geometric based designs on them, laid out neatly in a grid with rich black ink. 

“These are adinkra. But I don't know them well enough to read them. Usually they represent aphorisms but like I said, I don’t know enough about West African traditions to know if these are magical in nature or not. They don’t have any unusual energy but if they’ve been in storage for years then they might not. Sorry.” 

“No need to apologize. Could you...screen for anything that does have unusual energy?” 

Anakin wanted to kick himself. He should have thought of that. 

“Yeah, give me a second.” Filtering out other thoughts and perceptions, he narrowed his eyes and scanned the contents spread carefully on the basement floor for anything that might have been used in any kind of ritual or that contained more energy than an inanimate object should. 

He was about to pronounce it a negative when a flicker caught his eye. A leather bound journal that had been carefully placed on a box marked ‘Ahsoka’s old toys’. 

“That,” he said, pointing to the dark blue journal. 

“This was Simone’s old journal. Of course I never read it. Are you sure?” 

“Yes. I don’t think it was just a journal. It feels like there are magical inscriptions in it.”

“Alright then. We should pack the rest of this up then. Perhaps check out the storage unit tomorrow after you’ve met with the twins and their friend.” 

“Right.” Anakin began slowly and carefully packing up the rest of the belongings. 

“Are you alright?” 

“Yeah, of course I am.” 

“You seem quieter than usual. I don’t want to pry but you can talk to me if you wish.” 

“I- Ya know. Just thinking about this Zabrak and how to get home after if I’m still alive.” 

“Don’t say that. You’ve survived for a very long time and I’m sure you’ll continue to.” 

“Zabraks are to be feared. Even by other demons. I’m good at fighting and I can defend myself but I also have to face the reality that it could tear me apart. That’s why I don’t want you or Ahsoka near it. If it wants raw power, I could take it on and have the better chance of winning. I’ve lived a very long time and Ahsoka’s hardly lived at all.” Huh, he hadn’t thought of it but it was true. And hey, no waiting around wondering if Ben and Ahsoka were okay if he was dead. He put the lid on the last box and stood to make for the stairs. 

Ben stopped him with a hand on his elbow. “Anakin, I don’t want you to get hurt. And if you’re worried about getting home then we’ll help you.” 

The demon turned to see Ben’s face, blue-grey eyes full of earnestness despite his own struggles. He wished Ben was like the rest of his species and not selfless and kind. He wished Snips wasn’t endearing and brash and so full of life. 

“I um, I’m gonna go out for a drink.” 

“I can go with you. There’s a tavern not far from here.” 

“No, um, I need to clear my head. Tell Ahsoka that whatever she finds in that journal, it doesn’t have to define her. Not everyone inherits powers directly. They can skip generations. I might be out late so don’t wait up.” 

And with that Anakin gave a flick of his will and was then standing out behind the bar he’d met Rex and Cody in. It took a heroic amount of alcohol to get him drunk, but he was in the mood to imbibe whatever would get the job done. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ben had no clue what was going on. First he thought Anakin liked him, then he was quiet and dodgy and had just disappeared after Ben had made an offer of friendly companionship. Was that the problem? That he didn’t want friendly but something else? Ben didn’t think he had it in him to become involved with someone even short term and then watch them leave for good. Leave the world, for that matter. He was of course glad that Anakin had saved his life but if he could be some hideous creature like the Zabrak, it would certainly make things easier. Instead he was a supernatural entity wrapped up in a very attractive human package who was capable of both deep compassion and stunning wrath. Give him a laptop and he was an overeager puppy, ask how his species communicated and he pulled a convergence of emotional energy and sound together that brought tears to your eyes. 

Ben made his way to his own stash of bourbon and pulled up a book on magical communities that Anakin had recommended. If he was going to protect his daughter he’d start with learning everything he could.


End file.
